The Venerable Jeongnyeom, a former abbot of Woljeongsa Temple who had entered the race to become the 38th head of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, withdrew on the 24th and declared his support for the Venerable Gyeongwoo. As a result, the election for the order's administrative chief next month on the 3rd will be a two-way contest between the Venerable Gyeongwoo and the Venerable Jinwoo.
In a statement released the same day, Jeongnyeom said he was "stepping down from the candidacy." "I sincerely hope that my withdrawal will sound an alarm over the order's election and candidate-vetting system, and that it will serve as an occasion for the entire Buddhist community to recognize the need for a change in leadership," he said. Voicing his support for Gyeongwoo, he added, "I pray that the Venerable Gyeongwoo will surely bring about a change in leadership, reform the order's outdated system, and create a new development of Buddhism in the age of artificial intelligence."
With Jeongnyeom's withdrawal, the election will be a head-to-head contest between Gyeongwoo, listed as candidate No. 1, and Jinwoo, No. 3. Gyeongwoo has served as abbot of Cheongyeonsa and Janggyeongsa temples, as head of the general secretariat's library office, and as a member of the 15th and 16th Central Council. Since 2015, he served as abbot of Seonunsa Temple, the head temple of the 24th parish, in Gochang, North Jeolla Province, before stepping down recently ahead of his candidacy. Jinwoo, who is seeking a second term as chief, served as abbot of Baegyangsa Temple, the head temple of the 18th parish, in Jangseong, South Jeolla Province, as well as head of the order's general affairs department, planning office and education institute, before taking office as the 37th chief in September 2022.
The chief of the Jogye Order, the administrative leader of the largest order in Korean Buddhism, is chosen through an indirect election by an electoral college of 321 people, comprising the 81 members of the Central Council, the order's legislative body, and 240 people elected 10 at a time from each of the 24 head temples of parishes nationwide. The parish delegates were selected through parish assemblies from the 19th to the 23rd. The electoral college will gather to vote on the 3rd of next month at the Memorial Hall of Korean Buddhist History and Culture in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
